


The Heat is On

by Polomonkey



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Heat Stroke, Hot Weather, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Derek Morgan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:22:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28586427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polomonkey/pseuds/Polomonkey
Summary: Reid gets heat exhaustion. Derek makes sure to look after his little brother.
Relationships: Derek Morgan & Spencer Reid
Comments: 8
Kudos: 115
Collections: Hurt/Comfort Bingo - Round 1





	The Heat is On

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever Criminal Minds fic! Just dipping a toe in the fandom with this little fic (which somehow Prentiss is not in, even though I love her, she will def be in future ones)
> 
> Fills my hurt/comfort bingo square 'heat stroke / heat exhaustion'

The kid had been out in the sun for way too long.

If he’d been there, Derek would have stopped Reid from going after Andy Smithson. Andy’s mother had been found, her kidnapper arrested, bringing the kid back home was a job for the local PD. He wasn’t hurt after all, just hiding in his special place due to being overwhelmed. Police officers who knew the desert terrain should have gone to fetch him, and they might have been sensible enough to take water and sunblock too.

But Derek couldn’t really blame Reid. He’d bonded with Andy over the course of the case, he’d been the only one of the team able to get through to the distressed nine year old. He’d been waiting at the house with Andy while the rest of the team checked out a lead in a barn outside of town. They’d called Reid as soon as they could to let him know Andy’s mother had been found safe and well. But Andy had already slipped out of the house and run into the desert.

Derek would have followed too, he knew that in his heart of hearts. But Reid had no sun protection, not even so much as a hat, and no food or water with him. Andy at least had been well covered up. When they returned to town, Derek could see immediately that Reid was far too hot.

He’d made him drink some water while Andy reunited with his mother at the police station. The fact that Reid even let Derek sit him down to drink was telling enough, as was the fact he wasn’t cycling through his usual array of facts and figures.

“I’m fine,” he said quietly, pushing Derek’s hand away when he tried to feel his forehead. “Just tired from the case.”

It had been a long one. They’d been out in Arizona nearly two weeks and they were all exhausted. Derek looked over at Hotch questioningly and received a nod.

“Reid, you and Morgan and Rossi go back to the hotel and pack up. Myself and JJ will finish up here.”

Reid didn’t object, standing up a little shakily. Derek resisted the urge to support him up and instead motioned to Hotch on his way out.

“Is he alright?” Hotch said.

“I think so,” Derek said. Reid was walking and talking almost normally, it could be true that he was just tired.

“Keep an eye on him,” Hotch said and Derek nodded.

The drive to the hotel was less than five minutes and soon they were inside the blissfully air conditioned building. Derek’s room was in between Reid and Rossi’s, he gave the kid a scrutinising glance as they opened their doors.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“M’ fine,” Reid said, trying to push his keycard into the door slot. “I just…”

He managed to fit the card in and push the door open.

“I’m just saying=”

“Honestly, Derek, I’m-”

Suddenly Reid leaned heavily against the open door.

“Just… dizzy…” he managed to get out and then he collapsed to the floor.

Derek was there in an instant.

“Rossi!” he shouted and Rossi burst from the room next door.

“What happened?” he said, taking in the scene with one glance.

“Heat exhaustion, I think,” Derek said, trying not to panic. Reid was still clearly breathing, his eyes half open. He wasn’t in any immediate danger.

“Can you hear us, kid?” Rossi said, bending down, and Reid moaned slightly.

“We need to cool him down.”

Derek nodded, reaching down to scoop Reid up into his arms. Rossi pushed into Reid’s room and opened the door to the bathroom.

“Cold bath,” he said and turned the taps on.

Derek carried Reid into the room and set him down on a chair in the bathroom. Gently he began to remove his clothes, leaving Reid in his boxers. He knew Reid would be embarrassed later but for now time was very much of the essence.

The bath was filling rapidly.

“I’ll get ice,” Rossi said and hurried from the room.

“Derek…” Reid murmured.

“I’m here, pretty boy,” Derek said, crouching in front of him. “We’re gonna get you cooled down.”

He felt Reid’s forehead, it was hot to the touch and clammy. Reid was sweating and Derek was pretty sure that was a good sign. It was heat stroke when you stopped sweating, heat stroke when things became very serious. This seemed more like heat exhaustion. If they could lower Reid’s temperature, he should be fine.

Not that Derek wasn’t prepared to call an ambulance if it came to it. Nothing was going to happen to Reid on his watch.

He filled a glass with water from the sink and fed it to Reid. Reid drank greedily, water spilling out from the sides.

“Feel sick,” he murmured, clearly a little confused.

“It’s alright, we’re gonna get you in the bath now,” Derek said and he lifted Reid again, placing him carefully down into the now full bath.

Reid cried out a little as his body hit the cold water.

“Shush, I know, but your body needs it,” Derek said, trying to sound as soothing as possible. He grabbed a face cloth and dipped it in the water before placing it on Reid’s forehead.

Rossi reappeared at the door with a bucket in hand.

“I got it.”

He tipped the ice into the bath and Reid made a noise of protest. Derek shushed him again.

“He’s pretty out of it,” Rossi said, concerned.

“He should come back to himself, soon,” Derek said. “If his temperature starts to go down, we’ll be alright. If not…”

He didn’t want to finish that sentence.

Rossi crouched down next to the bath, and tipped a little water over Reid’s hair.

“Kid, you gotta be more careful,” he said softly.

“He’s never been any good in the heat,” Derek said. “You’d never know he grew up in Vegas.”

Derek removed the facecloth and put his hand to Reid’s forehead.

“He’s cooling down,” he said, and he couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped him.

Rossi smiled and clapped Derek on the back.

“Good save, Morgan. Let’s give it a few minutes and then I’ll let the team know.”

*

They ended up staying another night in Arizona. Reid was absolutely mortified when was feeling better, he couldn’t stop apologising to everyone.

“No one wants your apologies, Spence,” JJ said. They were eating take-out in Reid’s room, sat on the floor and chairs while Reid lay propped up in bed. “We just want you to invest in this little thing called a sun hat.”

“Or a baseball cap,” Rossi put in, “you’d suit one of those.”

“I’ll get you a Bulls one, pretty boy,” Derek said.

“I don’t really like bulls,” Reid said, puzzled, and Derek laughed.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed so he took the opportunity to reach out and ruffle Reid’s hair.

“Anyway, just don’t do it again. You scared us today.”

Rossi nodded.

“I was about to start calling on the Italian saints for help, and let me tell you, there are a lot of Italian saints.”

Reid nodded thoughtfully.

“That’s true actually, there have been more Italians canonised than any other nationality, with roughly one hundred more than the next in line, the Spanish-”

“Oh good, he’s back,” JJ said with a smile and Reid broke off. He looked around the room and gave them all a tentative smile.

“I really am sorry, guys.”

“You will be soon,” Hotch said very seriously, looking up from his phone.

Reid visibly gulped.

“I just told Garcia what happened,” Hotch said, and cracked the tiniest of smiles.

“Oh ho ho, she is going to end you for going off like that,” Rossi crowed.

As if on cue, Reid’s phone began to ring.

“It’s her!” Reid said, slightly panicked. “I just won’t answer.”

But Derek reached out to wrestle the phone from his hand.

“Hey baby girl. Oh you wanna speak to Reid? Why, he’s right here.”

He handed the phone back with a smirk and Reid took it reluctantly, mouthing _I hate you_.

 _Love you too_ Derek mouthed back.

It had been a stressful day, but what day on this job wasn’t? And a day that ended with all the people he loved most around him, and his little brother safe and protected… well that was a day Derek Morgan could get behind.


End file.
